Mormons in Media

My cool friend Ryan shares an agent with Brandon Sanderson and his debut novel is being published next year!! We talk favorite fantasy books, how Apple TV will adapt Sanderson's world, the fact Ryan has written 26 NOVELS and the personal inspiration behind the 26th one that helped it break through. We also admit to reading some romantasy BUT NOT THAT MUCH. Follow Ryan's Instagram Runes & Rocke...

Mallory had the rare experience of being hugely successful as a comedian in her 20s. Since leaving Studio C, she's been on a path to figure out who she is on her own as an artist and how to write what she knows.

Are eternal companions pre-determined in heaven? Does a thunder storm help you have a baby faster? What was happening in the 80s and how did we both miss this masterpiece growing up? Also! Get information and tickets for the Wayfare Festival here .

That isn't snark -- we genuinely want to know. It's a MIM BOOK CLUB where we talk two tradwife novels: Everyone's Lying to You by Jo Piazza and Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. Both give big time Ballerina Farm vibes and are vaguely tied to Mormonism, and we have Thoughts about all the above.

Netflix's harrowing 4-part docuseries focuses on the crimes of Sam Batemen, but before Sam Bateman there was Warren Jeffs. As outsiders, Nicole and Rebbie can't begin to understand how either of these men were able to do what they did. Cristina helps contextualize what these religious doctrines and communities are like, how they differ from each other, where they can be mischaracterized, and what...

Rebbie and Nicole attempt to keep up with the latest SLMW drama (looking at you Jessi and Chase). We talk young marriage, black and white thinking within religion, and explore the connection between Utah's beauty standards and the church.

Meg, Rebbie, and Lindsey try to process the most disturbing week in the Mormon Multiverse to date. Is Taylor okay? (no) Are we complicit in her issues? (probably) And how much do we dislike Jessi's husband whats-his-face? (SO MUCH).

Since its inception, the Church has used media to attempt to relate to the wider world. We talk about church messaging in the early days, how it shifted to assimilate after polygamy, the golden age of Gordon B. Hinckley, and how it paved the way for the Mormon Moments 1 and 2.0. Check out Ben on the internet! - YouTube Channel - Instagram

Two Provo girls reminisce on growing up believing Donny Osmond was the biggest celebrity in the world. Also our thoughts on SLMW season 4, TFP as the Bachelorette, what we're reading and some stress over being Olympic hosts in just 8 short years.

It's a Mormonland crossover where Rebbie, Nicole, and Eli dive into the harrowing story of Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt. We talk through the ethics of family vlogging, the pressures of parenting in LDS circles, and the unique elements of our culture that may have led to so many people being brainwashed by these two women.

The killing of Alex Pretti this weekend has a lot of us wishing the church would speak out. Jake and I discuss past church statements, what seems to be the criteria for issuing one, and the complicated intersection of politics and religion in the social media era. We've got more questions than answers, but we do know one thing: don't read the comments.

We watched a docuseries that tried very hard to prove RHOSLC's Mary Cosby is a cult leader. I'm convinced she is at least a scammer, but Nicole's expectation is that a successful pastor will be mega-rich?! What! We talk about tithing across different churches, whether having a temple recommend is like belonging to a country club, and the fascinating reality of a thriving Pentecostal church being f...

Meg and Eli are here to talk about the best (or at least most memorable) moments of the year.

Whitney's going to Broadway! She rode the villain train all the way to the bank, meanwhile Demi is very much floundering in the role. Nicole asks me questions about patriarchy in religion, temple sealings, and the the prevalence of young marriage, and it's likely I answered all the above wrong-ish. Help me out in the comments, would you?

Our first Book Club! But it’s more like an extended Instagram post, in which Mayci Neeley of Secret Lives fame tells us about the harrowing relationships that led to her becoming the Mormon Wife she is today. From her party days as a BYU athlete, to the tragic death of her first baby daddy, to her finding blogging and becoming an influencer. We really like Mayci! We're not sure how to critique thi...

And is every BYU athlete secretly breaking the honor code? I read Mayci's book and I have questions.

For this Mormonland crossover, Rebbie finally watches two episodes of RHOSLC! Thankfully, co-hosts Nicole Weaver and Eli McCann are experts on the subject and can answer all her beginner's questions. We talk about what makes SLC the favorite Housewives franchise, how Latter-day Saint themes show up in it, and the surprising ways it differs from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

Amy Watkins Jensen runs Women on the Stand - a movement that explores Latter-day Saint women's visibility and involvement at church. We talk through how her work is connected to what's currently happening with Mormon women in media, how social media can be positively used for advocacy, and whether we need a Bechdel test for decision making inside the church. Here is a link to watch the YouTube ser...

Lorren wrote a novel that could be just that. We discuss our current favorite books, the LDS publishing landscape, the awkwardness of ward book clubs, and everything we felt and wondered while watching our BFFs Kristen Bell and Adam Brody try to make their mixed-faith relationship work.

I texted this to Jill and we thought we'd better podcast on it. Honestly it's mostly us spouting Jenny Han theories and trying to figure out which of the books we're reading can be recommended on this podcast. Bonrad sucks!! Links to all the stuff we talked about: - New PTA movie - Sky Daddy - Jill's Substack - To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Nora Goes Off Script - Funny You Should Ask - The B...

Less than 24 hours after President Russell M. Nelson passed away, a gunman opened fire on a Latter-day Saint congregation in Michigan. We're experiencing two very different types of mourning, and holding it all feels really raw. We talk about how President Nelson's message of peacemaking can apply on a week like this, where Mormonism fits into the Christian Right, and most happily the legacy Presi...

Jen and Whitney went from SLMW to DWTS, but before they got there, half the cast was already LDS(ish). Also, RHOSLC started and TFP is the new Bachelorette and this is too many acronyms to keep track of.

Rebbie, Diana, and Mallory discuss Hulu's new show "Are You My First." It's basically your worst Singles Ward, and somehow we loved it. If you're unfamiliar, The Soloists is a Faith Matters podcast that explores singleness broadly and within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their conversations are poignant and expansive and so important, and you should listen immediately.

Kirk tells us about his path to becoming an artist, how many people told him not to be an artist, and the promise he made to God about how he'd give back if he found success. We talk about what makes art break through the LDS bubble, how each of us defines creative success, and how critique can be a form of worship. You can see his work IRL at Provo's Compass Gallery until September 28th. Or check...

Rebbie talks with Neylan McBaine and Jared Cardon about our love/hate of the recent Christian Rock-ification of youth music within the church. How do we define worshipful music? How did we get from pioneer hymns to Strive To Be? And is there a world where we can feel Beyonce levels of transcendence through music at church?